This document provides guidance on planning an effective nonprofit blog. It identifies common blogging challenges such as justifying time, generating content ideas, and promoting the blog. To address these challenges, the document recommends having: 1) A clear blogging purpose and specific target audience. 2) Defined scope including core subject areas and content types to use in brainstorming topics. 3) Realistic publishing frequency managed through an editorial calendar. 4) Documented processes such as editorial guidelines, submission processes, and contingency plans for content production and late submissions. Partnerships can also help with promotion. Planning and documentation are emphasized as keys to gradually making blogging easier.

1. PLANNING A NONPROFIT BLOG
YOU CAN MANAGE
Marlene Oliveira
@mo_flow

2. About me
Marlene Oliveira
Copywriter and communications consultant to
nonprofits, moflow
Founder, Nonprofit MarCommunity
#NPMC Twitter chat
Trainer, facilitator

3. How many ‘hats’ are you
wearing?

5. Question: Which best describes
your blogging experience?

6. Today’s plan
! Blogging challenges
! How to keep them under control!

7. Blogging challenges
! Justifying the time required
! Coming up with compelling content
ideas

8. Blogging challenges
! Review, revision, formatting process
! Generating enough content
! Blog promotion

9. Question: Which is the biggest
blogging challenge for you?

10. Problem: Justifying the time
required for blogging

11. You need: a clear purpose

12. Question: Do you have a clearly
defined purpose for your blog?

13. Benefits of blogging include:
! Attract high quality traffic
! Platform to:
– Tell your nonprofit’s story
– Place calls to action
– Report back on progress
– Serve as content marketing platform

14. “Organizations that blog have
55% more website visitors.”
-Hubspot’s An Introduction to Blogging for Nonprofits

15. But what is your nonprofit’s
blogging goal?

16. You need: a specific audience

17. Blog post >> Marketing persona templates:
10 options for nonprofit communicators
http://moflow.ca/marketing-persona/

18. Problem: coming up with
compelling content ideas

19. You need: defined scope and
content types

20. Spark method

21. Spark method
1. subject areas
+
2. content types
+
3. brainstorming

22. Core subject areas
! Think in terms of categories
! Choose 3-7

23. Example content types
! External, cause-related news
! How-to content
! Case studies
! Leadership message
! Interviews

24. Working with content types
! Framework for the types of posts you’ll
feature
! Use them to brainstorm specific blog
post topics

25. You need: a realistic
publishing frequency

26. Mistake: thinking you
can ‘wing it’

27. You need: an editorial
calendar

28. Problem: managing review,
revisions and formatting

29. You need: blog editorial
guidelines

30. Question: Do you have
documented blog editorial
guidelines?

31. YOU NEED: BLOG EDITORIAL
GUIDELINES

32. Blog editorial guidelines
should include:
! Introduction
! Purpose
! Audience

33. Blog editorial guidelines
should include:
! Content criteria
! Linking policy
! Style and formatting

34. http://moflow.ca/blog-post-formatting/

35. Blog editorial guidelines
should include:
! Submission/review process
! Republishing policy
! Other items to be submitted

36. Post your blog editorial
guidelines in an accessible
location

37. You need: documented
processes

38. Problem: keeping up with
content production

39. You need: contingency plans

40. Example contingency plans
! Evergreen blog posts
! Crowdsourced content
! Flexibility

41. You need: clear late
submission policy

42. You need: mix of contributors

43. You need: a system for
soliciting content

44. Problem: getting your content
seen

45. Blog promotion examples
! Search engine optimization
! Email
! Social media

46. You need: partnerships and
relationships

47. Recap: what you need
! Clear purpose
! Specific audience
! Defined scope and content types
! Realistic publishing frequency

48. Recap: what you need
! Editorial calendar
! Editorial guidelines
! Documented processes
! Contingency plans

49. Recap: what you need
! Late submission terms
! Mix of contributors
! System for soliciting content
! Partnerships and relationships

50. planning + systems =
gradually easier

51. Question: Do you have a
documented blogging plan?

52. Take action: you need a
blogging plan

53. http://moflow.ca/blog-planning-checklist

54. START A BETTER
NONPROFIT BLOG
moflow.ca/sbnb

55. Thank you!
QUESTIONS?
Marlene Oliveira marlene@moflow.ca